Bicycle.



No. 638,067. Patented Nov. 28, |899.

E. ROUGH BICYCLE.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

:ze v 15 L 'f3 UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

EDWARD ROOCH, -OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOUR.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,067', datedNovember 28, 1899.

Application led February 23,1898. Serial No. 671,354. No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD RoooH, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to bicycle-gears; and it consists of the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown,described, and claimed.

Figure 1is a side elevation of the rear Wheel of a bicycle provided withmy improved gearing. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the hub of therear wheel with the gearing in position relative thereto. Fig. 3 is asectional view taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa sectional view taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isan enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig.2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates thelower rear fork of the bicycle-frame, the ends of which fork areprovided with ordinary ball-bearings 2, in which is rotatably mountedthe hollow axle or sleeve 3 of the rear bicycle-wheel 4. Arranged torotate in said hollow axle or sleeve 3 is a shaft 5, the ends of whichproject a slight distance beyond the sleeve at each end thereof. Rigidlyfixed upon each end of this shaft 5 is a ratchet-wheel 6, and rotatablyarranged upon the shaft 5 in juxtaposition to these ratchet-wheels 6 arethe bifurcated heads 7, to which are fixed the ends of the pedal-levers8. Pawls 9 are pivoted in the bifurcated heads 7 in such a'manner thatthe points of said pawls will readily engage between the teeth of theratchet-wheel 6, and leaf-springs 10 are arranged in the bifurcatedheads 7 in such a manner as that the ends of said leaf-sprin gs willengage against the ends of the pawls 9 and hold them in or out ofoperative positions.

A spring-arm 11 is secured to each of the hubs 2 and extends from thencedownwardly and rearwardly and then forwardly and upwardly, their upperends terminating in yokes 12, that engage the forward ends of thepedal-V levers 8, the normal tendency of said springarms being to keepsaid pedal-levers elevated.

Located upon one end of the shaft 5 between the bearing 2 and theratchet-wheel 6 is a frame or casing constructed of three plates 13, thesame being uniform in size and construction, with the exception that thecentral plate is provided in its forward end with a recess or cut-awayportion 14, and these plates are held at equal distances apart by thecollars 15,1ocated upon the rivets or screws 16, that fasten said platestogether. This frame so constructed is held to one arm of the fork 1 ofthe frame of the bicycle by aclip 17, that passes around said arm andthrough the forward end of the frame. Rigidly carried by the shaft 5 andarranged to operate between the central plate and the outer plate is alarge gear-wheel 18.

Arranged for rotation in the recess 14 between the two outer plates is apinion 19, which is double the width of the gear-wheel 18, said pinion19 being in mesh with said gear-wheel 18.

Rigidly carried by the tubular axle or sleeve 3 and arranged to operatebetween the central plate and the inner plate is a pinion 20, andintermediate pinicns 21 and 22 are rotatably arranged upon suitablebearings between the inner plate and the central plate, and saidintermediate pinions 21 and 22 form means whereby the rotary motion ofthe pinion 19 is transferred to the pinion 20.

To operate my improved bicycle, the rider mounts the seat in theordinary manner and, placing his feet upon the pedals of the levers 8,alternately moves said levers downwardly, said downward movement storingpower in the spring-arms 11, which power is exerted to return the leversto their upward limit of movement when the pressure of the foot isreleased. With the downward movement of the levers the pawls 9, whichhave previously been thrown into operation, will engage with the teethof the ratchet-wheels 6 and drive said ratchet wheels in the directionindicated by the arrow A, Fig. 1. Said ratchetwheels being fixed uponthe shaft 5, said shaft will necessarily be driven in the samedirection, and the gear-wheel 18 being fixed upon said shaft 5 saidgear-wheel will be driven in the same direction. The rotary motion thusgiven to the gear-wheel 18 will be transferred to the double-widthpinion 19, and the rotary IOO motion of said pinion lO will betransferred, through the intermediate pinions 2l and 22, in thedirection indicated by the arrows thereon in Fig. 4 to the pinion 20,which is xed upon the tubular axle or sleeve, in which the bicycle-Wheelis xed. Thus the pedal motion is transferred to rotary motion and saidrotary motion imparted tothe rear wheel of the bicycle, whichnecessarily drives the bicycle forward and accomplishes the desiredresult. By making the various pinions and gear-wheels in proper sizesand making the levers 8 sufficiently long the bicycle can be driven at avery high rate of speed, this being one of the objects contemplated bymy invention.

By the construction herein shown and described the use of a chain andsprocket-wheels is dispensed with, a light, strong, and durable gearingis produced, and, if desired, the gearing may be inclosed in a dust andwater prooi` casing.

I claim- The combination with the rear axle of a bicycle, of the tubularsleeve or hub of said rear wheel, ratchet-wheels 6 rigidly fixed uponthe axle7 spring-actuated pedal-arms l1 rotatably arranged upon the endsot' said axle, pawls 9 carried by said pedal-arms for engaging the teethof the ratchet-wheels, the lower rear fork, the parallel plates 13framed together and fixed to said fork, a large gear-wheel 1S fixed onthe rear-Wheel axle and mounted between two of said parallel plates, thegears 20, 21, 22 arranged alongside of said large gearwheel to transmitpower to the hub of said rear wheel,and the wide-faced pinion 19 meshingwith both the gear-wheel 1S and the gears 20, 2l, 22, substantially asherein specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

EDVARD ROOCH.

lVitnesses:

ALBERT J. MCCAULEY, JOHN C. HIGDON.

